A fashionable way to fight diabetes

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT BEACH -- Children with diabetes will share a runway with Miss

America and a stream of models at a gala Saturday at Fashion Island.

After 10 years of holding a successful luncheon fashion show, organizers

at the Pediatric Adolescent Diabetes Research and Education (PADRE)

Foundation have decided to step things up with an extravagant evening

event.

“I’ve had the vision of a great nighttime event in Orange County for

years,” said Jackie Teichmann, executive director of the foundation.

The evening will commence with a reception and dinner sponsored by

several local restaurants before moving on to the fashion show, which

will be held outdoors in a large band shell reminiscent of the Hollywood

Bowl, Teichmann said.

Kicking off the show will be a group of four diabetic girls wearing

insulin pumps at their waists and calling themselves the “Pump Girls.”

They will sing and dance for the audience, demonstrating to other

diabetic children that life does not have to be interrupted by their

disease.

“The whole thing with PADRE is there’s no cure for this, but you can

still enjoy a great future,” Teichmann said. “We educate and teach them

to manage diabetes and give them the camaraderie to manage their

diabetes.”

Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999 and a diabetic, will address the

audience before 36 children and 18 professional models showcase the

latest fashions.

The luncheon of past years had an attendance of 800 and raised as much as

$100,000. Organizers expect this year’s event to bring in more than

$150,000.

All proceeds from the evening will go to the foundation for supporting

Childrens Hospital of Orange County and to provide education and research

for pediatric and adolescent diabetes throughout the county.

The programs are available to all diabetics in Orange County.

Tickets are $75 per person or $750 for a table of 10, and are available

by calling the foundation at (714) 532-8330.

FYI

* WHAT: A fashion show event

* WHY: To benefit the Pediatric Adolescent Diabetes Research and

Education (PADRE) Foundation

* WHERE: Fashion Island, Bloomingdale’s courtyard

* WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday

* HOW MUCH: Tickets are $75 per person or $750 for a 10-person table